The End
by Miss I-Like-Too-Many-Fandoms
Summary: Aang has spoken with his past lives. He must undertake one final journey with Katara. His time as the Avatar is over.


**This piece was inspired by my friend blak-cat23's story "There You'll Be" and acts like a sort of prequel to that work. So check her story out after reading this one if you haven't already.**

**Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra belong to Nickelodeon and Mike and Bryan.**

He usually awoke before she did, but Katara could feel the difference in this absence of her husband. The sheets beside her were ice. It was as if he was gone as soon as she fell asleep. At sixty-eight and sixty-six, the couple still got around rather well, an ease of movement contrary to their ages, so the waterbender was unsurprised to find Aang meditating on the other end of Air Temple Island, his back to the statue being built in the distance in his honor. The Avatar was situated at the edge of a sheer drop to the bay, his arrows blazing in the faintest light of early morning. As Katara moved to sit beside her husband, the brilliant light vanished, Aang opening his eyes and turning.

"Why don't we go on an adventure?" There was a strange twinkle in the airbender's eyes. Katara chuckled, resting a hand on Aang's bony knee, the edge obvious even when clothed.

"I don't know if I have another adventure left in me, sweetie."

"Just one more, a trip. The Southern Air Temple. Then we could visit Sokka at the South Pole." There was a weight to Aang's words that formed a knot in Katara's stomach. The feeling alone was enough to convince her. It had been a few years since she had seen her brother and where she grew up. She couldn't call it home anymore. Home was wherever Aang was.

"When do we leave?" Aang's responding grin still brought butterflies. Every smile was like a glimpse into the past. He looked so young when he smiled. She still saw the twelve year old boy.

"Today. I've already sent acolytes to prepare Appa." Katara hadn't realized she was smiling until it faltered.

"Do you think…Appa can handle it? He hasn't flown that far in a while." The airbender's enthusiasm didn't waver.

"Of course he can! He's excited!" He jumped to his feet, a little bending helping on the way. He offered his hand and Katara took it without hesitation. Katara simply could not help her worrying nature as they journeyed back to the main of the island.

"Have you talked to Tenzin? Does he know he'll be in charge of the island for a bit?"

"Katara." Aang stopped and turned his wife toward him, a hand on each arm. He didn't speak until cerulean met grey. "This is just about you and me. I've taken care of everything." Only Katara could have noticed the odd way "everything" left the Avatar's lips. The knot intensified, but the waterbender refused to let premonition ruin a trip with her husband.

"Alright. I'll try and stop worrying." The couple smiled at each other, just gazing for several moments before continuing on their walk. Appa was saddled and packed with their supplies when they reached the stables.

"Now, you two be careful and tell Uncle Sokka…" Aang cut off his youngest son with a tight hug and a grin, rubbing his bald head before releasing him.

"You're worse than your mother." Tenzin was flustered into silence as he hugged Katara. Aang had already airbended himself onto Appa before his son found his voice, the Avatar even able to squeeze in a hug and some pats with his beloved animal guide. Katara and Tenzin however noticed the slight wobble as Aang landed on the bison's head. None of the acolytes seeing them off had any idea, but the Avatar's wife and son shared a look before releasing each other.

The trio was off with much fanfare. It had been a long time since Aang had left the island for more than a few hours, nonetheless the city he had helped establish. Republic City soon disappeared from the horizon as they traveled south. The couple couldn't help but to reminisce on their past adventures, or as Sokka liked to call them, grand misadventures which usually resulted in bodily damage to him. Both longed for their friends in the saddle with them, but they also treasured their time to themselves. They had taken many trips over the years, just the two of them.

"Remember when we decided we just had to have a vacation on Ember Island because you still felt guilty about that night at the play after fifteen years and they were performing a revival of "The Boy in the Iceberg?" Katara and Aang were snuggled together on top of Appa's head, taking turns with the reins.

"I can't believe we saw that play once, never mind twice. I still don't understand how it possibly could have been worse the second time."

"I can't believe you tried to make a law against performing that play."

"You outlawed bloodbending. I needed a law and the crimes are of the same magnitude, to people and art respectively." The duo burst out laughing. Silence settled upon them as the sun began to set, both had been shocked and relieved by the stories they had forgotten and by the stories they recalled. It wasn't that they didn't talk, just that the memories didn't usually come so readily. How could they not remember? They were older, but yet everything was the same. The sky. The saddle. The wind in their faces.

Voices seemed to echo around them. First, just their own and Sokka's, then slowly Toph's appeared and finally, Zuko's. Momo's chirps could even be heard. It had been so long since they had taken Appa on a flight, a real flight. He was older too and it hurt Katara to the core knowing not just that his time was near, but that Aang was acutely aware. She could not imagine what it would be like with Aang without Appa, truly without his animal guide. Those days in the desert still haunted her, the look in his usually kind grey eyes had twisted into something dark, something that no one could come close to understanding, to empathizing with. The waterbender was pulled from her reverie by a sudden jerk from below.

"Buddy, don't you want to land?" Even in the dark, Katara could see the perplexed expression on her husband's face, but there was something there as well, something strange that she couldn't place. Appa jerked again, beating his tail to increase their speed. "I guess we're sleeping in the saddle."

"You don't think he'll hurt himself do you?"

"He'll land when he's ready. Maybe he's just glad to be flying again." Katara couldn't help but to think that Aang knew the real reason why Appa didn't want to land just yet, but she kept the thought to herself, removing herself from the airbender's arms to prepare their bedrolls. Though not nearly as fit as she once was, moving about the saddle in the air was as natural as bending. She was ready to rest however and settled into her bedroll instead of returning to Aang. He joined her soon after however. Neither feared them getting lost. Appa, more than anyone, knew the way. Katara relaxed slightly at the thought that maybe the bison was just excited to see his old home.

The night grew cold and storm clouds gathered, yet the rain refused to fall. It appeared to be waiting, but for what?

Appa jostled his passengers awake as he landed, but to the shock of both Aang and Katara, he did not sleep. He seemed only to be resting his limbs. He was also quite agitated. He grumbled the entire time during the couple's meal of dried fruit and rice cakes. Katara's sudden chuckle broke Aang's concentrated stare toward his animal guide.

"What?"

"I was just thinking, Sokka would hate this lunch." Aang couldn't help but to chuckle as well.

"You're right. He'd be going on and on about seal jerky. Sorry though for the lack of meat. I hadn't thought to ask the acolytes to pack some for you."

"I'm not bothered. I actually can't remember the last time I ate meat. Looks like you've made a convert once and for all. That'll really get Sokka going." The couple laughed again before cleaning up the remains of their meal. Appa refused to eat. He wouldn't even touched the moon peaches Aang had left out for him. He seemed almost angry and even Aang couldn't soothe him. As a last ditch effort, they climbed into the saddle. The bison took off immediately, making deep, pleased noises. Aang and Katara shared a look, shrugging simultaneously. Worry remained behind both of their eyes however.

The rest of the journey followed in a similar fashion. Appa could barely stand to stay on the ground, only happy in flight. He'd only eat if Aang brought food to his mouth with his bending and drink the same way. It was relief for all to reach the Southern Air Temple. The sky bison finally let himself sleep once he landed on the terrace, whatever had been driving him had apparently vanished at the sight of his old home. As the day progressed however, Appa's agitation appeared to have shifted to Aang.

He was restless, constantly strolling about the temple. It had been restored to its former glory years ago and it still left Katara in awe. Aang seemed only able to relax in the Avatar sanctuary, managing to meditate for a few hours. Katara would sit with him, a growing weight settling in her chest. As she stared at the statues surrounding her, it finally struck her, truly and for the first time, that Aang would die. This revelation was actually worse than when he actually had died and Katara still couldn't even breathe when she thought of that day, the darkest day she had ever lived through.

It wasn't just that Aang would die. She would die too. It wasn't death that frightened her, but as the whole history of the Avatar stared her in the face, it was the thought that Aang would be replaced that terrified her. He was her everything and to the world, one of the greatest Avatars to ever had lived, but he would be a page in a history book, a statue in an almost forgotten room. She didn't care what happened to her legacy, but Aang's had to be preserved.

"Katara?" The aforementioned nearly jumped at the sound of her name. She had been staring at the statue of Kyoshi as her thoughts darkened.

"Sorry. Yes?" Katara shook her head, attempting to clear it as she turned to face her husband.

"Are you ready to head out?" Aang's tone revealed his meaning. She had to have missed something while dwelling on the future.

"You don't want to stay any longer? It's only been three days."

"I'm just read to go." Again, the Avatar's expression and tone twisted her heart, but she did not protest, simply leading the way out of the sanctuary. She refused to look at another statue's face. Appa was relieved to leave, his previous enthusiasm returning. Katara didn't think they had ever made the flight from the temple to the South Pole so quickly before.

"I think that was a record, Appa." Though the strange burden remained on her heart, Katara managed to laugh and pat the sky bison as she dismounted from the saddle. She had barely touched the ground before she was encased in the arms of her brother, Aang grinning like a fool behind him.

"It's been too long, little sister." She had to agree and it certainly felt nice to be back, though much had changed. A collection of huts and simple walls of ice had been replaced by a sprawling frozen metropolis. Katara thought it was even more beautiful than the Northern Water Tribe. She didn't have much time for site seeing, however.

As a hero of the Hundred Years War and on top of that the first waterbender from the tribe in decades and technically royalty, Katara was swept away, pulled in every direction to observe young waterbenders, kiss babies, and in general, be gawked at. Aang was certainly enjoying the attention his wife was getting, for one he was happy for her and two, he was glad to have the attention directed away from him for once, though he certainly had his share of babies to kiss and gawking.

Both were shocked to find that their reprieve was the massive feast in their honor, not that Chief Sokka really needed an excuse to have a feast. Surprisingly, Sokka actually had requested that a whole table be set with dishes not containing meat. Aang essentially had an entire portion of the hall to himself, no doubt Sokka's dream turned the Avatar's reality. Katara, though tempted by the foods of her childhood and home, ate little meat, which as expected, prompted almost a fight between Sokka and Aang.

Aang had not seen Katara so happy in years and though he hid it well, Katara noticed the opposite in him. He was happy and clearly enjoying himself, but there was something he was carrying, words Katara knew he was dying to speak, but could not yet find it within him to do so, but she was soon proven wrong. He was ready. After several hours of feasting and then reminiscing with Sokka deep into the night, Aang took Katara's hand, guiding her out of the city and to the edge of the ice.

"Let's go penguin sledding." Katara nearly cried with relief. She had been expecting something truly awful. She doubled over as she laughed, still clutching the Avatar's hand.

"Aang, honey, I'm positive penguin sledding at our age would be a complete disaster. They'd be looking for a new Avatar and they'd need a new waterbending master to teach him or her." Her face dropped as Aang's expression turned unreadable, a nearly unknown occurrence in the fifty-four years Katara had known him.

"Can you take me to the iceberg?" She could only nod. They found a canoe nearby and pushed off from the shore. Katara couldn't even find it in herself to be guilty about the canoe, nor could Aang.

Even in the dark, the place where everything had begun called to the waterbender. Memories reformed themselves before her eyes. In the crushing blackness of the current winter, dawn light illuminated her way. It was no longer her and an airbender, but an immature boy with a fishing pole ranting about "magic water." She could still feel that power welling within her, the indignant rage. They climbed out of the canoe as they made land, but though Aang was silent, she heard Sokka. He was yelling and pleading, bossing her around, but she didn't listen, she kept walking and then snatched the club from her brother. Then the darkness rushed back in.

There was nothing to break open. The iceberg was in pieces. The only evidence of what had occurred, what had changed forever, was a strange crackling in the air and now the man standing beside her.

"I had to come." He had moved past her, standing in what had been his icy tomb, his back to her. "This is where everything began. My life did not begin at the Southern Air Temple. It was here, when I saw your face for the first time. It sounds so stupid and childish, but I was in love with you then." His voice was breaking and so was Katara, but she couldn't move, couldn't speak. "I can feel it coming, Katara. In my bones. At my core. I think it's because all my past lives have felt it before. It's a knowing deep in my being." He turned and they both watched as tears fell from the other's eyes.

"Aang…" It was the only thing she could say, the only thought thrumming through her being.

"This is the end, Katara. I never wanted you to have to go through this, but I'm sorry. I can't stop it. I've known for months and only so close to the end do I have the strength to face you. I had to come home, but that's why I couldn't stay, because the Southern Air Temple isn't my home. You are and you always have been. You, me, Sokka. That's what tonight was, like the beginning."

"I'll follow right after you. And you know I will." Aang managed a teary smile.

"I still can't bear the thought of you dying, even if I'm gone first. Help the next Avatar. Train them. It's not just me, Katara. You make everyone around you better." He took a shaky breath. "Do you remember that day on the cliff with everyone? After we learned about Sozin and Roku?" She nodded. "It has to be true Katara. There's not one part of me, Avatar or Aang, that doesn't love you. I know I'll love you in my next life and every life after."

There were no words after that. They could only look and kiss and hold. It was their secret. They were gone after two days. The day after they returned was it. Aang was gone. Appa the day after.

Katara was broken. She couldn't smile, not even for her children.

It took three years, but she finally smiled. She had found him again.


End file.
